Originally Posted by
VegasJen
Good, bad, indifferent?
Yesterday I picked up a 2012 Cervelo P2 for a steal. Well, not totally a steal. I did have to put a few hours into it to get it road ready. But I took it out today for a test ride. Rode 34 miles and honestly, by mile 15 I was almost ready to leave it by the side of the road. Everything about the bike is good, except for how aggressive the position is.
I ride tri bikes all the time, so I'm used to, and even prefer, the geometry of a typical tri bike. But this thing is so aggressive, it's literally painful. The steerer tube barely comes up to the lowest seat post height, which bends me over far more than I can hold for any length of time. But there's really no additional steerer tube to go up. All the stack is already used. And I can't go down any further on the seat post without hip angle issues.
So I need to go up about 2 inches, give or take, on my stack. I don't have any steerer tube left to go up, so my thinking is one of those jacked up stems at like 45*. I think that can get me another inch or so. Then I can take the elbow pads up with spacers to get me in a position I can hold for time. I certainly don't want one of those adjustable angle stems because they just look hinky to me. I'm not happy about it, but I think a fixed 45* stem could be a cheap solution to this problem.
Is there anything concerning about using a stem to get me up a little higher?
Assuming the bike 'fits', and only you would know that - or you have someone to advise you, local...
Bar height... reach and rise affect that
on a bike you're already riding and feel 'accustomed to', measure from the saddle nose to where the bar is clamped to the stem - that's your current reach (not really... but it works most of the time...)
now check the new bike, same measure (once you have the saddle positioned)
measure or find the stem length that would get you to the same 'reach' number as your current bike.
Get a cheap adjustable stem - amazon or similar - a bit longer (1 cm...) than the stem you would need to get the same reach, on the new bike...
Why Longer? Because as you adjust the stem upward, it becomes shorter , down becomes 'longer'... Perfect? No, Life and cycling are not perfect.
Position the adjustable stem to the same 'saddle/bar drop' as your current bike - the vertical distance of top of saddle to top of bar... go ride for some days.... find some 'measure' of how you do - performance wise...
then re-adjust the stem downward for a further drop of 1/2cm / 5mm, go ride for a few days, then do the same, exact performance test as before
Repeat everything...
Until you find a good point of 'performance' and 'comfort' (your decision on weight of each aspect).
Once you think you have that optimum point (for the time being) - you can get a fixed stem to mimic that setting - or just continue to use the adjustable...
Ride On
Yuri